Tuesday dawned with some relief from the winds which had moderated overnight. We made a dinghy run to Staniel to top off the dinghy fuel and fill the spare tank ($5.45/gal) and drop off the trash, then returned to the boat and got underway for Black Point.
Black Point is a very pleasant community, or settlement as they refer to them here. It has a school, clinic, general store, a small grocery, laundromat, two restaurants and other facilities. There is public water and power, and paved roads. It’s a bustling community, known for being very cruiser-friendly. The the laundromat and Lorraine’s Cafe are both well-known in the cruising community. We arrived in the afternoon, and headed to the laundry to catch up sheets and towels. Our on-board Splendide washing machine has once again been misbehaving. Although it can be hand-coaxed through a load of wash, it refuses to complete a cycle on its own, so a repair will be required. The repair is not so bad, but the location of the machine is extremely tight, so removal and re-installation is about the most onerous task aboard. Repair will be postponed until such time as we can remove the machine, do the diagnostics, and have parts delivered and repair completed 100% before it is re-installed. A great machine when it works, but easily the most troublesome and aggravating piece of gear on the boat. Could be worse!
While we had internet access, we received a note from cruising friends Don & Ellen aboard Sirius Endeavour that the would be heading north from Georgetown and would be in the area. We hoped to connect and spend some time with them. Their pup, Bella and our two were great buds during our time in Brunswick last winter (2009), and we had met up several times afterwards heading south, and again for a few weeks in South Beach. On arriving in Black Point, we met up with Escapade, our sistership 43, and visited with Ken & Linda over cocktails. They also met with Chris and Karen aboard Synergy whom we knew as well from the same areas as Sirius Endeavour, so we stopped by and said hello. We learned that Sirius would be arriving at Black Point the following day, and although our plan had been to join the Selenes and head to Cave Cay and on to Conception Island early Thursday morning, we opted to stay on at Black Point for a visit with Sirius Endeavour and make the run to Conception from Black point, a run of 73 nm. A bit longer run, but with longer daylight hours, we would be able to make the run and arrive with some daylght remaining. Our approach would be with the sun behind us as is preferred and the earlier arriving Selenes to assist in getting into the anchorage if needed.
Sirius Endeavour arrived around 1630, and we ferried Ellen and an excited Bella to the shore for some dog play time. The dogs had a noisy and excited reunion, and got to romp on the beach for a while. Later we joined the crew & guests from Sirius Endeavour and Synergy at Lorraine’s Cafe for dinner. Lorraine’s is a popular destination for the cruising community as well as locals, so we were glad for the opportunty to experience dinner there. It’s informal and unique. Lorraine is the cook, the waitress, and maitre-de. She visits the table after the diners are seated, and offers beer or soft drinks from the cooler. Actually she just points out that there is beer or soft drinks in the cooler, rum punch or drinks at the bar, and with a smile, explains that she doesn’t take drink orders, you’re just supposed to help yourself and keep track of how many of what you have. When asked what’s in the rum punch, she deadpanned “rum, and punch”. Pressed about what’s in the punch, she chuckled and quipped “whatever is on hand to make the punch”. The menu consisted of conch fritters as a table appetizer, entree choices were crackled conch, ribs, fish, or pork chops served with cole slaw and peas and rice. Since several of our party asked about having fish as well as conch, she offered an impromptu special for the evening of a fish & conch combo. She also cooks the meals, assisted by her mother. Her mother also bakes bread for sale during the day if you go to the side door and knock. If she has bread that day and answers the door, you can buy some. The kitchen is behind a closed door with a sign giving a stern admonishment that the kitchen is off limits to all but those who work there. When the orders were ready, she served the hot orders with some help from another dinner customer who was waiting with her table for their orders to be made. When the time came to pay the bill, one of each couple moved to where Lorraine was stationed behind the bar with her calculator, and recounted for her what they had ordered and what drinks they had. She totaled the amounts and the bills were paid. A very interesting experience! The food was good, prices reasonable, and the company great as we caught up on one anothers’ experiences in the nine months since we last saw them.
We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner experience and it was great to catch up with friends. We regretted that we would not be spending the next day with them as we were making an early departure for Conception Island. We hauled anchor after giving Sammy an early shore run, and bid a sad goodbye to our friends as Don waved from the cockpit and Bella cried as her buds motored off. We got under way for Conception around 0720, a bit of a late start, but weather conditions were perfect, so we anticipated a pleasant if long passage.
